


Dealing with the Fallout

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Changing the Past [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Dean Winchester is John's Good Little Soldier, Family Drama, Protective Gabriel, Protective Meg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 21:08:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13819479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: Sam has to deal with the fallout of Gabriel's impulsive decision





	1. Chapter 1

Sparring with Meg had helped Sam to burn out some of the nervous energy she’d built up. It sort of took the edge off for her, let her get out some of that pain and rage and fear that sat inside of her and channel it into something a bit more healthy than the breakdown she swore she could feel threatening at the edges of her mind. Though her tattoo ached from being stretched like this and from the assault she put her body through – plenty of other places ached, too, Meg didn’t pull any punches in training! – she didn’t mind in the least. It felt _good_. When she went inside to grab another shower, she was a whole lot more relaxed than she’d been before.

She was in the middle of her room getting dressed when she heard a furious shout and the sound of cursing coming from the direction of the library. Her brain easily registered the fact that those were _male_ voices – and not Gabriel’s – and then she was snatching up her gun, shirt still in hand, and running from the room. It didn’t really register that she was only in jeans and a bra. All of her focus was on the sounds up ahead. She ran right until she was close and then she switched easily over into silent mode, her footsteps ghosting over the ground. The tank top she’d been carrying was absently pulled on. She only worried about it to free her hands. Then she settled the gun between her hands and crept forward a bit more, shoulder against the wall, head tilted and ears on alert.

What she heard as she got close had her blood running cold.

“You just stay back!” Someone snarled. Then, another voice, and this one had Sam’s whole body locking down tight because she knew it, would always be able to recognize it. “I don’t care what you are, I swear I will gank your ass!”

Dean. That was _Dean_. The air in the room felt suddenly heavy and Sam wasn’t sure how on earth she was still standing under it. She pushed herself, taking one shaky step, and then another, and then one more until she was right there in the doorway, able to see down to the main part of the room where the giant map table sat. Standing there by the table were two men. A taller, stocky man her brain took a long minute to finally place before coming up with _John_ —Dad. He didn’t matter thought. It was the other man that held all her attention. Before Sam realized it, the gun in her hand dropped down to the ground with a loud clatter that cut off all conversation.

One of Sam’s hands came up to press over her pounding heart. She watched, wide eyed, as the two men spun towards her. John looked shocked, and suddenly more furious, but Dean took her in with one look and his entire being lit up in a way that only made Sam’s chest hurt even more. She stared at him and felt her heart break in her chest. She wanted to turn and run, far and fast, and she wanted to fling herself at him. Dean, Dean! Dean was here and he was _alive_. This… it was like after the Mystery Spot, only _more_. Because Dean may have died over and over in that time loop, and then that time he was gone the longest, but none of it compared to this. Because this hadn’t been a time loop. This hadn’t been some ‘trickster’ that Sam could hunt down and force to bring back her brother. This, this had been final. The darkness had taken her brother, taken Castiel, and she and Gabriel had grieved for them together. They’d mourned for the loss of their family.

Now Sam was standing here and Dean was _right there_. Right there in front of her! All the grief and pain that she’d tried so hard to buckle down came flying to the surface now. Sam’s lips parted on a trembling gasp, just one word on her lips, and that was all it took. Just the sound of Dean’s name in her shaky voice and her brother was tearing across the room so fast it was like Sam blinked and he was just _there_. Once he was right in front of her, what could she do but reach for him, fling her arms around his neck and cling to him, squeezing so tightly it was a wonder he could breathe.

“Sami.” Her name was breathed out against her hair, a whisper of relief and fear mixed together. One of his arms banded around her waist, holding her to him, and he was practically lifting her up. Sam was on board with that. She held even tighter to his neck and let herself jump up like she’d done a million times in her life, in _this_ life, her legs curling around his waist. Dean didn’t even flinch over it. In fact, he tightened his hold and then immediately squatted down. A second later Sam understood why. Dean _had_ wanted her to jump up, because that allowed him to bend down and scoop up the gun she’d dropped. Once he had it in his hands he spun and pointed it right at – Gabriel.

John had placed himself between his children and Gabriel without hesitation, glaring at the supernatural being in front of him, and his voice was furious as he demanded that Gabriel “Stay back!” It had nothing on the furious snarl that Dean let loose, though. This was big brother in full protection mode, his sister in his arms, and there was nothing more dangerous than that. Yet, at the same time, there was a part of Sam that couldn’t help but compare that sound to the one she knew Dean could let loose. Not this Dean, though. For as fierce and dangerous as this Dean was, especially in defense of his sister, he had nothing on a Dean who had been to Hell, who’d lived through the Apocalypse, the Leviathan, _Purgatory_. He’d been hard, deadly, and very dangerous. This Dean, he hadn’t reached that point yet, and though Sam grieved at the difference between this Dean and hers, she knew she’d do anything she could to make sure those differences stayed there. That this Dean never knew the pain her Dean had gone through.

“What the hell did you do to my sister?” Dean demanded. He kept back, kept Sam in his arms, and the hand on her waist encouraged her to drop her legs down. She didn’t want to, though. Once she put her legs down she knew he’d probably try to make her let go or get behind him or something, and she couldn’t. She just couldn’t. Not now that she had him right here with her.

Another voice broke into the mix then, before anyone could think to speak. “I suggest everyone take a step back, right now.” Meg said firmly. She strode into the room without an ounce of hesitation, a gun in each hand. One of them was pointed at John while the other pointed Dean’s way. Sam knew she wouldn’t fire at Dean, that she wouldn’t hurt them and she wouldn’t risk hurting Sam, but she also knew Meg wouldn’t have any such compunctions when it came to John.

Sharp eyes drifted over Sam and Dean, taking in the way that Sam was reluctantly sliding her legs down, how she stayed pressed to her brother though she continued to watch the room, and then her eyes slid over to Gabriel. Something passed between them and Meg nodded. When her eyes turned back, they were still sharp, still dangerous, but she smirked at them. With one gun she gestured to John. “You, step on back there, gorgeous. Quickly now. That’s it, that’s a good boy.” Her smirk grew when John took a few steps back towards his kids. Then her gaze shifted to Dean and her other gun gestured towards the floor. “You, either put the gun down or give it back to Sami. I don’t trust you not to drop it.”

This was quickly getting out of hand. If Sam didn’t do something, she knew this whole thing was going to quickly devolve into something worse than it already was. She had to step up. Only, that meant she was likely going to have to let go of Dean, and she just wasn’t sure if she could do that yet. Most of her was still stuck on the fact that he was _here._ _He’s here, he’s alive, he’s really here!_ She wanted to hold on to him and never let go. Yet, at the same time, she wanted to run and hide, to get herself as far away from him as possible before her very presence tainted his life.

It was with great reluctance that she made herself let go of him. Dean didn’t seem too happy with the plan; he tried to grab on and keep her there, only for her to duck back quickly from his hands. _I’m sorry,_ she thought, watching him. Once he gave her the gun, she took another step back, and another, until she strolled right up to Meg’s side. “Okay, everyone needs to take a deep breath.” Though her insides were still aching and twisting nauseatingly, she made sure her voice was steady. It was a skill she had lots of practice at. “We just need to calm down. No one’s in danger here.” Well, not serious danger. The other two hunters might try and hurt Gabriel but they definitely wouldn’t succeed.

“Samantha!” John barked out, glaring right at her with a look that she finally did recognize. It was annoyance and disappointment, a familiar look from him. “Get back over here, now. What’re you doing?”

Unfortunately for John, his ability to intimidate her had been long lost, right alongside most her memories of him. She arched one eyebrow at him in a look she’d picked up from her Gabriel. “That’s actually the opposite of calming down.”

Those were probably the wrong words to say. At least, judging by the thunderous look on John’s face. Memories from this timeline cropped up, clearer than her own memories of her father, and they reminded her of how little John liked to be questioned by anyone, let alone by his daughter.

Sam turned her head long enough to glare over at Gabriel, who was leaning against a wall and smirking at her. “ _Thanks_ , Lo.”

A flash of surprise went through his eyes when she called him ‘Lo’. What, had he thought she’d betray him? That she’d let everyone know who he was?

Her moment of inattention almost got them in a whole lot of trouble. John took advantage of it, having slipped to the side enough that he had a free path to lunge at Meg, knocking her down and almost knocking Sam down as well. He tried to take her gun, to get in control, and Sam reacted without thought. She knew what he’d do if he got that gun and she wasn’t going to let it happen. In a flash she lashed out, bending and kicking her foot out to the side. It connected with John’s shoulder, knocking him back, and Sam lurched down to grab Meg’s hand and yank her back hard enough that she slid across the ground towards Gabriel. The next second Sam had her gun pointed right at her father, who was lying on the ground. “I said _calm down_.”

“Oh, Sami.” The low purr of Gabriel’s voice behind her was full of humor and a hint of a growl she recognized as lust. “Anyone ever tell you how hot it is when you get all growly like that?”

Instead of bothering her, the words were familiar enough to relax her a little bit. Her Gabriel had always flirted at inopportune moments – especially when she was trying to be serious or dangerous. For some reason it’d always been a turn on for him. It made after-hunt-celebrations a bit more fun, that was for sure.

She kept her smile inside, though. On the outside she shook her head and then drew the gun back in. They needed to find a way to diffuse this before it got any worse. “Look, we can stand here and argue all day, or we can sit down like civilized adults and I can explain to you what’s going on.” Slanting a sharp look at her father and brother, she sharply added “And I do mean civilized. Lo can take you out of here as quickly as he brought you in, and if you’re not prepared to listen than there’s no point in you even being here.”

“I’m not appreciating your tone here, Samantha.” John said warningly.

The scoff slipped free before she could stop it. “Funny, I’m not appreciating yours, either.”

Her words had Meg and Gabriel both laughing – Meg’s more of a snicker and Gabriel’s an outright laugh – and it had Dean giving a shocked “Sam!”

Reaching up, Sam rubbed at the bridge of her nose. God, she didn’t want to deal with this. She wasn’t ready for it. But it was here now and she had to deal with it. Life had taught her better than to gripe and moan at the random shit thrown her way. She and Dean had learned how to roll with the punches; otherwise, they would’ve been run over by it all a long time ago. Still pinching at her nose, she used the hand with the gun to gesture up towards the table. “Just… everyone sit down, please. Please. I’ll explain everything as best as I can.”

There was a brief pause in which she could feel the tension that sat in the air. Then John made a low, dismissive sound in his throat, and he gestured for Dean to follow him to the table. Gabriel, little shit that he was, followed after them, likely because it would irritate them. She missed the look he slanted her way, or how he angled himself between them.

When she dropped her hand down and looked up again, her family had been ushered up to the table and Gabriel was plopping himself down near them, just out of reach. Sam stood there for a moment and stared up at them, trying to gather up the courage to go up there.

Meg’s small, slender hand brushed over her arm, a touch meant to show that she was here. “You okay?” She murmured low enough for only Sam to here.

It was almost instinctive to answer that question with ‘I’m fine’. Years had bred that habit into Sam. Yet, when she opened her mouth, she found herself giving a much more honest answer than she’d intended. “The last time I saw my brother, God and Rowena had turned him into a giant soul bomb to try and take out Amara. It was the only thing they thought might stand a chance.” As she watched her brother settle down at the table, discreetly tucked back by John, she tried not to let out the pained sound that wanted to tear free from her chest. Once, that would’ve been her and Dean. She would’ve been the one sitting while Dean made sure she was kept safe. Eyes burning with the need to shed the tears she kept inside, and her heart a constant ache in her chest, Sam shook her head. “You know the worst part?”

“What?”

Sam licked her lips and watched as Dean’s eyes flashed to her once again. He was checking on her, making sure she was okay. Always ready to protect her no matter the sacrifice. It was what had gotten him into trouble so many times. It was the whole reason he no longer existed in her timeline. “It didn’t even work.” Sam whispered. She watched Dean and her heart just _broke_. “I had to stand back and watch my brother and his mate go off to their deaths to try and save the world from my mistakes – and it didn’t even work. They were gone, Amara was still there, and we were alone. And now… now he’s here.”

She had to blink her eyes a few times to push away the stubborn tears that were making their way forward. Then, lifting her chin up high, she made her way towards the table. Time to get this started.


	2. Chapter 2

It was hard for Meg to watch as Sam settled herself in at the table and prepared for the conversation that Meg knew the hunter didn’t want to have. She also knew just who she had to blame for this whole situation. Glaring at Gabriel from underneath her bangs, she made sure to think loud and clear, knowing that the asshole would hear it. _You fucked this one up big time, angel-boy. You damn well better be ready to help clean up the mess._

She knew Gabriel heard her. Just like she knew he’d heard Sam’s words before she went and sat down. The darkness to his eyes showed how he felt about it. He’d messed up here – big time. Maybe if it was just a matter of Sam being stubborn and not wanting to see them, his bringing them here would’ve been all right. But he’d brought in a brother Sam had loved deeply and had watched go out and die, and Meg had a feeling that was only the tip of the iceberg with these two. There was more in their history than Sam was letting on. More had happened to them. She was trying so hard not to look at him now, choosing instead to focus on John. Only…

The way Sam watched John was so different than the way she watched Dean, or even how she’d started out looking at Meg or Gabriel. It was like she was studying him, trying to read something off of his face. Like he was some sort of picture and she was searching for a hidden clue…

Realization hit and Meg had to fight not to let her eyes widen in surprise. _She didn’t remember him_.

Of course, it made sense as soon as Meg thought about it. It sounded like Johnny boy had died a while before Sam’s swan dive into the Cage. All that time in hell, the lifetimes she’d lived down there, was it any wonder she couldn’t clearly remember her own father anymore? Meg had been alive for a long, long time, and she’d forgotten a lot about her human life. Old memories had to empty out to make way for new ones. It was just how the mind worked. More so with humans. As she settled into her humanity, more and more of her old human life faded away, those memories weak compared to her demonic memories.

A look with Gabriel showed he was realizing the same thing. Sam didn’t remember John, which explained why she seemed to be treating him more like a stranger than her father.

If they noticed, it was likely John had noticed, too, and what Meg knew about the Winchesters told that that wasn’t likely going to go over well. Johnny boy didn’t seem the type to take disobedience very well, and there was no doubt in Meg’s mind that Sam wasn’t going to be obedient. Even if she did remember him, she still likely wouldn’t be obedient. It just wasn’t in her nature. He was going to get pissed with her if it continued, and that was something that Sam definitely didn’t need.

To Meg’s surprise, Gabriel gave a small nod to her and then grinned at the rest of the table while he firmly drew all attention and anger towards him. “So! Why don’t we get this party started, hm? I bet you’ve all got questions and I just _love_ pretending to answer things.”

“Why don’t you start by telling us who the hell these people are and what you’re doing here with them, Samantha?” John asked, voice low and dangerous. “And where _here_ even is.”

The way that John said ‘people’ carried enough disgust to make it clear just what he thought of them. Meg didn’t stop herself from sneering at him. The man sure was living up to the reputation he had. Intolerant bastard. Everyone in the supernatural community knew that John Winchester hunted _anything_ supernatural. He didn’t care about shades of grey – all he saw were things in black and white.

Much as Meg wanted to step in here, this was Sam’s show. At least for now. It was up to her how much these guys were going to get to know.

It only took one look at Sam for Meg to realize how the other woman was going to play this. Or, at least, some of it.

For all the softness that she'd showed before when greeting Dean, the way that Sam slid down in her chair now, the cold and hard look that crossed her face, it was all a very deliberate play. One that was going to set the tone for any future interactions. Sam wasn't welcoming these two into her life and playing little sister. If Meg had to guess, she'd say Sam was making sure to push them away. At least a little. Or, more accurately, keep them at a distance. She was slouching down a bit in her chair and crossed one leg over the other in a pose that looked relaxed and lazy, and just a bit sexy, if Meg were honest, and she looked colder than normal. The single arched eyebrow and the quirk to her lips only added to that. The way she looked – it reminded Meg a lot of what she’d seen of Gabriel so far.

“Who these people are, are my friends.” Sam’s words were simple, no sign of her previous stress present. “As for where we are, well, it’s our home. And I mean ours,” Lifting one hand, she gestured at her, Gabriel, and Meg.

Dean gave her a look that was both pained and worried, with just a hint of anger at the edges to mask the rest. “Sami,”

One of John’s hands came up, cutting Dean off. He never took his eyes of Sam, though. “That’s not our Sami.”

Sam actually let out a low laugh at that. The sound of it made Meg want to wince. She looked over at her friend, this woman she’d grown to care for and trust quite a lot in such a short time, and she absolutely _hated_ the mask that Sam currently wore. The way that Gabriel was looking at her, his own face blank, had Meg guessing he hated it too. Sam let her smile grown a little and shrugged one shoulder. “I am, and I’m not. You could test me – I promise, I’ll pass every test. We could even bring Missouri Mosley out here and let her take a look at me. You remember her, right, Dad?”

Whoever this ‘Missouri’ was it was obviously someone John knew. The surprise that flashed through his eyes made that clear. Though it was equally clear that Dean had no idea what they were talking about.

Sam smirked as if she’d gotten the reaction she wanted.

That smirk was wiped away when Dean glared at her. Sam’s expression turned blank; a protection against what was to come. In the next instant, all Meg’s attention was on Dean as he opened his mouth said, “There’s no way you’re my Sam. Sami’s… she’s _good_ , and she’s nicer than she should be, and she gives a damn about people.”

Sam’s lips twitched like she wanted to laugh, though Meg would bet it was the last thing she wanted to do. “And what am I, then?”

“I think we both know what you are, sweetheart, and it’s about as far from my Sami as you could get.”

A snap echoed through the room. In the next second, both Winchesters were planted firmly in their seats with duct tape over their mouths. When Meg looked over she found Gabriel was glaring dangerously at the male Winchesters. It looked like he was just as done with their shit as Meg was. The archangel looked ready to start smiting something. His cold tone only served to make him seem even more dangerous. “You need to learn to watch your mouth, _boy_ , and show your sister some respect.”

Meg gave a pleased little smile. It looked like she’d gained herself an ally in the ‘protect Sami’ club. Which was good, really, because as much of a bitch as Sam was proving to be when the situation called for it, all those instincts seemed to go out the window when it came to taking care of herself. Meg had taken on the task, needing some way to pay Sam back for everything she’d given to Meg and everything she continued to give, but it was hard to do on her own. Sam was a tough one. Having help – even a pagan god/archangel/douchebag – would be welcome.

Sam didn’t seem to feel the same way. She barely hid a pained look before she turned towards Gabriel. “Lo, let them go.”

“I’m not hurting em, Sam-I-am. Just reminding them about a simple thing called _manners._ ”

“It’s fine.” Sam lifted a hand and, after a brief hesitation, laid it against Gabriel’s arm. Her expression softened just the slightest bit. “I expected this. It’s fine. It’s not like it’s a lie.” Completely ignoring the angry sound that Gabriel made, or the way that Meg sat up sharply to protest, Sam turned herself to look at her family and her eyes went just a bit sad. “You’re not far from the mark, Dean. Ask Dad about what Azazel did to me that night while he stood over my crib. He’ll tell you – I’m not human. I haven’t been since I was six months old.”

There was pain in Sam’s voice now, and in her eyes. A pain that was old and _deep_. It left Meg speechless. She didn’t know how to speak around the lump in her throat. Couldn’t remember how to function with human emotions this strong. Once, she would’ve loved to see Sam in this much pain. She would’ve reveled in it and used the chink in her armor to break her down. Now, she wanted nothing more than to make it go away and she had no idea how.

Sam shifted her gaze from Dean to John. There was nowhere near as much love in this look. If anything, she looked older, and suddenly so much more tired. When she spoke, her voice was soft. “In my timeline, you knew. Before you died, you told Dean he’d have to either save me or kill me. And you were right. He probably should have. Not that it would’ve made any difference – the angels wouldn’t have let me die, or stay dead. But I don’t have time for you to try, or to try and convince you why you shouldn’t.”

Abruptly, she turned towards Meg. “Would you mind getting something from my room for me, Meg? It’s in the dresser, top drawer on the left. There should be a stack of spiral notebooks – I need the dark purple one.” After a brief hesitation she added on “The green one marked ‘1’, too, please.”

The idea of leaving Sam out here with these two assholes wasn’t exactly something that Meg wanted to do. She wasn’t going to screw with her anymore than everyone else already was, though. Giving Gabriel a look that clearly said ‘watch her’, Meg hurried out of the room.

It took no time at all to find the books that Sam wanted and come back out. When she joined the others again, she immediately saw that John and Dean were still sitting, but they were no longer duct taped. It also seemed like Sam must’ve started her story, or at least given the basic facts of what was coming, because the two hunters looked incredulous, and John was giving Sam a look that blatantly asked if she was crazy. “Angels?” John asked her, practically spitting the word out. “You want me to believe that _angels_ are real?”

“Bullshit!” Dean said. He ignored John reaching for him and shook his head. “No, Dad, this is bull! Sam, I don’t know what the hell these guys did to you, but you’re not… you’re not some stranger from the freaking _future_ , and angels aren’t real!”

Sam shrugged one shoulder negligently. She’d shifted in her seat a little in a way that Meg saw clearly put her a bit closer to Gabriel. “Shouting that it isn’t real doesn’t make it any less so. You’re just too blinded by your belief that Dad’s right about everything to open up your brain and think.” When it looked like Dean was about to protest again, Sam held up a hand. “I’ve got too many facts I can give you that’ll prove me right. I’ve done my research into this timeline. There are things that are still the same. Like the location of the Devil’s Gate Azazel wanted to open up. Or Adam Milligan.”

As Meg reached Sam’s side, she saw John flinch again, while Dean still looked confused. Another name that meant something to John but not his son, than.

When Meg held out the books that Sam wanted, the girl smiled at her, a hint of her normal one peeking through. “Thanks, Meg.” Taking the books, she turned and set them on the table. “Here’s everything I know about the apocalypse. It’s a list of bare facts, starting with Azazel’s plans, right up to the sixty-six seals needed to open Lucifer’s cage. Or, at least, as many of them as I know. There’s information about angels in there, wards to put up, ways to defend against them, and things you need to watch out for. It’s basically ‘Apocalypse 101’. That should help you understand what’s coming and start to prepare a little for it.” Sam pushed that one forward and then laid her hand on the green notebook. Here, she paused, and they all watched as she took a deep breath to steady herself before going on. “This book is the first year Dean and I hunted together again. It starts with my memories from the end of Stanford right before I left, right up until Dad died. You’ll be able to look at the cases in here and match them up. Maybe that’ll help you believe me.”

“You’d do well to listen to her,” Gabriel told them. He looked calm at Sam’s side. Not the good kind of calm, though. The deadly kind. The kind that promised retribution if someone pushed him just far enough. It showed in his tone, too. “Because if you assholes don’t listen, it’s gonna end in more than a pissed off daughter. It’s gonna end with the world going up in flames.”

Sam licked her lips and settled back into her seat once more. Again, Meg noted how she leaned towards Gabriel, but this time she also made sure that she kept Meg at her shoulder. That was enough to convince Meg to cross her arms and stay standing behind Sam, a silent sentry. It made it so she couldn’t see Sam’s face, but she could hear the levelness of her voice. “This is a lot to take in, I know. Why don’t you guys take some time, look through what I gave you, maybe talk it over with Bobby.”

“Bobby?” Dean repeated. “Bobby Singer?”

A hint of warm slipped into Sam’s voice. “He was a huge help in my timeline. There’s no one out there right now who knows more than him. That panic room he’s got helped out, too.”

John’s expression darkened. “We’re not going anywhere. Whatever’s going on, I’m not leaving without _my_ Samantha back.”

“Is that so?” Sam asked, sounding amused. She tilted her head Gabriel’s direction. “Lo?”

The meaning of her words was clear. Gabriel’s grin was all trickster as he sat himself up. “You got it, sweet cheeks.” With no more warning than that, and a snap of his fingers, Gabriel, John, and Dean were gone.

The instant they vanished, Sam slumped down in her seat. She lost that harder edge and suddenly seemed so much more tired. Exhausted, even. One elbow came up to rest on the arm of her chair, allowing her to bury her face in her hand. “ _Dammit_.”

Meg slipped forward to perch herself on the table. It allowed her to face Sam and offer her a smile. “You handled that pretty well.”

Hazel eyes peeked out between long fingers. The look in them was dry enough to make Meg chuckle.

“You did! That was a lot of shit thrown at you, an a lot for them to swallow, but you did good, Sami. Give ‘em time to look things over and talk. If this Bobby guy is half as good as you say he is, I’m sure he’ll help get them on the straight an narrow. Plus, we’ve got Gabe to keep an eye on them.”

“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is,” Sam said. Still, she sighed and she dropped her hand. Facing her made it easier for Meg to see just how tired Sam really was. “I didn’t want to have to deal with them,” the woman said softly. Her eyes drifted mostly closed. “It was probably better I did, though. I mean, with Azazel gone, everyone on both sides is gonna panic. They’re gonna be trying to figure out what’s going on, and what stopped him, an how to get plans back on track. That means they’ll be coming for Dad and Dean.”

“And we’ll protect ‘em.”

Sam sighed again. “I hope you’re right.”

Honestly, Meg hoped she was, too. Because she wasn’t quite sure how well Sam was going to be able to take it if something happened to those two and she wasn’t able to stop it. From what Meg understood, the woman’s whole plan hinged on stopping the Apocalypse. There was more coming, Meg knew. More after that that Sam wasn’t telling them about. But this was their first, big hurdle. If one of the Winchester men died and went to hell, they’d be able to still stop things, but it’d be a blow Meg wasn’t sure Sam would recover from.

It was almost enough to make a person – even an ex-demon – want to pray for things to go right.

Too bad the guys listening wanted things to go badly just as much as the ones downstairs.


End file.
